Hat-crown retainer



Filed F 9' 1958 INVE a John Sepe a I 2 ATTOR Patented May 7, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE r 1 V 6 Claims.

. This invention relates to hat-crown retainers adapted for use in the manufacture of hats.

More particularly, this invention relates to such retainers adapted for application upon felt or other similar hats only during the blocking process thereof, and still more particularly, for holding'the crown firmly to the block and for assisting in defining the juncture between the crown and the brim of a hat during other necessary operations while-associated with the block. In this branch of the art of blocking felt hats, cognizance is taken of various adjustable retainers having special means for adjusting the tension and special means for locking the device after such tensional adjustment is obtained. Such prior art means require special skill of the operator in order to obtain the proper tension without rupturing the device. vAs is well known, hats and blocks are of varyv ing shapes and sizes and these aforementioned retainers are essentially provided with special means or are of special character to accommodate such variations.

One of the principal objects of theinvention is to provide a simple, rugged, and efiicient device of the character described havinghighly desirable characteristics aforementioned and adapted for quick and easy application and removal. Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which is inexpensive and adapted for use with varying sizes andshapes of hats within a limited range, and requiring no special size-adapting or tightening mechanism; such characteristics being inherent in the device within the size range for which it is adapted. e

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following description forming part r of this disclosure and having reference to the 4b accompanying drawing illustrating several embodiments of the invention, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hat in the process of blocking, having the invention applied thereto. 3 Figure 2 is a sectional view of Figure l. t

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a preferred form of the inventionshown inthe preceding figure, extended as in use, with the associated parts as shown in the previous figures removed. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the device shown in Figure 3 in collapsed condition. Figure5 is a perspective view of a further modification.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken 88 on the line 6--6 of Figurefi.

substantially Figure '7 is a fragmentary view of a modified form of the invention.

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a preferred size range use of the invention, and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view of 9.

further modification of the invention.

Referring to the drawingrthe reference character I0 designates a hat block of usual type employed in forming or shaping the crown or brim of a hat. A felt hat I 2 is illustrated as surrounding the hat block with the crown portion [4 thereof extending along the vertical ovular sides thereof. 1A brim I6 is, shown as extending substantially normal to the crown portion. A retaining device I8 is shown as disposed substantially at the juncture of the crown portion and the-brim of the hat.

, The blocking retainer comprises a pair of preferably spiral wound springs 20 each having their ends preferably looped as at 22 and suitably joined to short and substantially flat members or strips 24', having suitable means such as holes 25 in the ends thereof for receiving'the said loops.

It will therefore be seen that the retainer device' comprises a pair of springs oppositely disposed and a pair of flat strips also oppositely disposed, thus forming a substantially symmetstrips are adapted to contact the hat locally at substantially opposite sides thereof in any oriented position with respect to shape.

In operation, the device is stretched and placed over the dome of the crown portion of the hat having a block disposed internally thereof, and is then pushed downalong the crown portion to a desired position, to define the limit orend of the crown portion and the beginning of the brim portion of the hat. The effective perimetrical tially throughout the circumference of the crown, whereby the entire device after application, is devoid of up-rolling tendency. It is of course understood that the higher the tension of the spring device, the better for resisting the separation of the crown of the hat from the block at the juncture of the crown and the brim during the blocking operations tending to dislodge the relative association of these parts.

It will be further noted that. the springs engage substantially the entire circumference, and the flat strips are preferably as short as is consistent with the function aforementioned. By this construction an equally distributed radial gripping tension is established substantially throughout the entire circumference. r In the form shown in Figures 1 to l, the spring is illustrated as circular in crosssection, which of course aids in sliding the device down along the crown in its stretched or tensioned condition.

The edgesof the flat strips may also be rounded to prevent scraping of thecrown. I

The strips 24 are illustrated as substantially planar, thereby creating a slight .bite into the resilientmaterial of the hat with which the center portion comes into contact. This further assures the retention of the device in. the position set. Movement up or circumferential movement of the device is prevented by the bite of the flat strips or flat portion of the loop into the felt. This bite is affected only against a backed up hat, that is, one within the crown of which ablock is positioned. I

. The tension of the springs is essentially high and preferably at the limit of workability which is such as would require great manual force to expand them. It is, of course, understood that a hat without a block within the crown thereof could not possibly withstand the tensional collapsing effects of such springs here intended.

While a device of proper spring characteristics is capable of application for all normal head sizes, it is preferred to provide such devices in three sizes to cover the entire range of head sizes from approximately 6% to 7 the sizes of the devices being substantially marked by indicia such as the character-L (large) on the end strips 24. Other sizes not shown may be marked M (medium) and S (small), correspondingly. Any of the group of retainers under such arrangement has been found usable for several sizes varying in %ths and the extent to the use thereof, is limited only by the tensional characteristics desired or sought by the operator.

In view of the fact that many more hats of the intermediate sizes are manufactured than those of the small and large sizes, it has been found preferable to employ the medium device on fewer sizes. For example, the device L is preferably employed for the sizes 7%; to 7 including three hat sizes; the device marked S for three hat sizes from 6% to 6%; inclusive; and the M device for only two hat sizes namely; '7, and 7 It will be seen, however, that thestretching range of the fM device is only one half size up or down. In such small variation the difference in tensional characteristics is practically negligible; the variation from themeanlength of each spring is illustrated in Fig. 8;and is a proximately .1 of an inch in 10.

Referring to Fig. 5, the form here shown comprises a substantially endless spiral spring 30 having a suitable juncture as at' 32. This juncture may be accomplished by joining the ends of the wire-or by welding short sections of the ends of the spring together. The cross section of this spring is preferably of ovular shape providing fiat surfaces 34 intermediate the substantially curved ends 36 thereof. The flat sides prevent the curling of the spring upon application and consequently remain in the position set to define the juncture of the crown and brim of a hat during operation thereof. This form has a further characteristic of more sharply defining the bend at the juncture; of the crown and the brim in View of the relatively small radius' at 36.-

'While in the preferred form the strips 24 are illustrated as being flat, it is to be understood that they may be slightly curved to conform somewhat to the ovular surface prescribed by the block, and that the strips may be rigid and unbendable or may be slightly flexible.

Referring to the form shown in Figure 7, the spring portion of the device Ml may comprise flat ovular spirals such as illustrated in the form shown in Figures 5 and 6, said spring having interposed two or more strips 42 suitably secured as by welding or the like to the ends of the springs 40. This strip may also be rigid, slightly flexibl e or flat or slightlycurved.

In Fig. 9 the ends 510 of the flat member 52 may be threaded and adapted to be embraced by the spiral ends of the springs 5-; and 56 which are illustrated as Wound in opposite directions. 7 The flat strip may thus act as a turnbuckle in initial or adjustable assembly of the device.

While several preferred embodiments have been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that minor changes may be made without departing from the invention as defined in the claims. I v By the term high radial pressurev or compression as employed in the claims it is understood to mean such compression or pressure as will cause the crown of a hat unsupported internally by a block to collapse, or of such resistance as would tax the strength of an adult upon initial expansion of a spring possessing the intended high radial pressure or compression.

I claim: v

1. A hat-crown blocking retainer adapted for engagement with the crown ofa hat mounted upon a block, said retainer comprising apair of relatively strong yet manually extensible helical ly wound springs, a pair of .fiat'narrow members joined at their ends to the ends of said springs and arranged'with said springs alternately in an endless loopof head size substantially smaller than that of the block, said fiat members-comprising a minorportion of theperimetrical dis tance of said endless loop and adapted-to tightly engage thelowest portion of the crown of a hat at the juncture of the crown and the brim thereof under high radial compression.

2. A hat-crown blocking retainer adapted for engagement with the crown of a hat mounted upon a hat block, said retainer comprisinga substantially strong yet manually expansible endless extensiblehelically wound gird of perimetrical dimensions slightly smaller than the perimetrical dimensions of the crown of said block when in an unstressed condition, said gird being of such strength as to tax an operator in its expansion, whereby high radial compression is obtainable in application upon the crown of the hat, said gird comprising an expansible portion and an inexpansible substantially narrow flat portion,"

both portions adapted for engagement with the crown of the hat immediately above the juncture of the crown and brim thereof, ,the ends of said narrow portion being joined intandem to the ends of the said expansible portion.

3. A hat-crown blocking retainer adapted for rigid non-expansible members, each of said members having a substantiallyfiat surface adapted to tightly engagethe crown of the hat immediately at the juncture of the brim thereof under high radial pressure, the unstressed size of the loop being slightly smaller than the size of the block I with which it is adapted to cooperate, and the ends of said rigid members being engaged a1- ternately in tandem to the ends of said springs.

4. A hat-crown blocking retainer adapted for engagement with the crown of a hat mounted upon a block, said retainer comprising a single endless extensible loop of helically wound metallic material smaller in perimeter when unstressed than the crown and adapted to tightly embrace the crown of a block-mounted hat in high radial compression, said loop including a non-expansible portion having an exposed and arcuate crownengaging surface corresponding to the external surface of the crown of the hat.

5. A hat-crown blocking retainer adapted for engagement with the crown of a hat mounted upon a block, said retainer including a short flat member adapted to tightly engage the hat at the juncture of the crown and brim thereof, a helically wound spring adapted to form an endless loop ,with said flat member, the circumference of said loop being smaller when unstressed than the circumference of said block, said flat memberhaving threaded ends adapted to engage internally of said spring, said threaded ends meshing with the helical windings of said spring.

6. A hat-crown blocking retainer adapted for engagement with. the crown of a hat mounted upon a block, said retainer comprising oppositely wound helical springs, a pair of flat members, each of said members having threaded ends of opposite hand adapted to engage internally of said helically wound springs to form an endless I loop with said flat members, the circumference of said loop in normal unstressed condition being smaller than the circumference of said crown' size.

. JOHN SEPE. 

